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After four years of surging vehicle thefts, the number of stolen vehicles in the United States fell to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Thefts nationwide decreased 17% from 2023 to 2024, dropping below the one million mark for the first time since 2021 and marking the largest annual decrease in stolen vehicles in the last 40 years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
“The overall decrease in stolen vehicles nationwide is a testament to the hard work and collaboration between law enforcement, multi-jurisdictional auto theft task forces, governing bodies, vehicle manufacturers, and NICB,” said David J. Glawe, President and CEO of NICB. “Collectively, these groups used data and intelligence to develop actionable strategies to help local authorities investigate and prosecute offenders and to prevent vehicle theft from occurring in the first place.”
via NICB
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A new Consumer Reports study found that some charging networks are so buggy that drivers have nearly a 50/50 chance of running into problems when they pull up to recharge.
Survey respondents had the most trouble with the Shell Recharge network of chargers. They experienced problems during 48 percent of charging sessions. Drivers using the EVgo network had problems during 43 percent of their charging sessions, and Blink network users experienced problems during 41 percent of their charging sessions. By comparison, the networks with the least number of reported problems were operated by Tesla (4 percent) and Rivian (5 percent.)
via InsideEVs
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New cars are now easier to afford than at any point since the summer of 2021. However, the auto market is steadily dividing, creating one market for wealthy shoppers looking at luxury cars and another for those shopping at mainstream prices.
“Affordability is relative,“ noted Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. “We’re back to a K-shaped economy where higher-income individuals are faring much better, while lower-income individuals face more challenges. In February, the average price of a new vehicle decreased again, improving affordability. This decrease, combined with higher incomes, more than offset reduced incentives and slightly higher interest rates.”
via Kelley Blue Book
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Online shopping for cars isn’t a new concept, but it could become even more mainstream if the largest online retailer in the world, Amazon, decides it’s time to add used auto sales to its portfolio. Amazon already peddles new Hyundai vehicles to shoppers in 68 markets, including some US cities.
Leveraging their already copious amounts of buyer info also allows more efficient and lucrative automotive advertising opportunities—a market apparently already worth as much as $30 billion, just in the United States. Combining all of that intel makes Amazon a great place to market cars, but there’s even more value in selling aftermarket products—including warranties and service contracts—that buyers are likely to sign up for.
via autoblog
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Propel your fleet to success at the premier fleet event—NAFA 2025 Institute & Expo—taking place April 28-30 in Long Beach, CA.
Thousands of fleet professionals in every segment including corporate, government, public safety, utility, education, and more will be there. Join fleet professionals from 41 states and 6 Canadian provinces at the premier fleet event.
I&E has something to offer everyone, from those just starting their careers to professionals who have decades of experience.
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(Work Truck Week Photo provided by NTEA)
By Tod Trousdell, Partner, RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Communications
If you ask exhibitors and attendees at this year’s Work Truck Week how they felt about the 2025 version of what’s become the commercial vehicle industry’s most important conference, you would hear this: Consistent. Productive. Affirming.
For fleet managers, WTW is prized as a condensed opportunity to meet every vendor, partner, customer and interested party in their universe, a benefit mentioned by virtually every fleet manager I spoke with.
“WTW…sets the standard when it comes to doing great business,” said Bill Bishop, SVP of Sales and Marketing for asset remarketer FLD. He added, “It’s also the place where important trends are identified and ideas take shape; we exchange a lot of great information here.”
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The Power of Benchmarking
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By Erin Gilchrist, Vice President of Fleet Evangelism, IntelliShift
Mid-sized fleets face a unique challenge—balancing efficiency with rising operational costs and increasing compliance demands.
Unlike major enterprise fleets with access to expansive industry insights, mid-sized fleets often operate with limited visibility, making it harder to control costs, optimize vehicle use, and ensure driver safety.
One powerful tool that can level the playing field is benchmarking. By leveraging data from telematics and industry reports, fleet managers can assess their performance against similar operations, uncover inefficiencies, and implement strategies to enhance productivity and profitability.
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